Open Thread: Are Cord Cutters Hip Or Poor?

A lot has been written about Comcast losing 275,000 of its cable subscribers during the third quarter. Our own Ryan Lalwer thinks this is clear evidence of cord cutting as a result of rising cable bills. Others disagree, arguing that customers are simply switching to other forms of pay TV.

And then there is Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett, who has his own theory about cord cutting. From the New York Times:

“Mr. Moffett said the image of the cord-cutter had been that of a ‘cutting-edge technologist’ who preferred to bypass cable to watch programming on computers and on an ever-proliferating array of devices. ‘The reality is it’s someone who’s 40 years old and poor and settling for a dog’s breakfast of Netflix and short-form video.'”

Karl Bode over at DSL Reports already made fun of Moffet today, but we’d like to cut through the polemic from both sides for one second and ask: Is cord cutting an economic trend, or is it about the growing availability of programming online? Or maybe the choice doesn’t even matter, as people who have to save money leap-frog the mainstream to become technological trendsetters by necessity?

We’re interested in your take on this matter, and we’d also like to know about your personal motivation to cut the cord, if you’ve done so. What was the driving factor: Hulu or your wallet? Please chime in below — and while you’re at it, enjoy the most recent episode of our new show Cord Cutters…